The invention relates generally to control systems for power supply devices, and more particularly, to software control systems used in connection with an Uninterruptitible Power Supply (UPS) system.
There are numerous types of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems for supplying backup alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to electrical loads. These UPS systems generally use batteries or types of other energy storage devices that supply such power when a main power supply (e.g., line power) is not available. For example, backup power is provided when power from an AC source performs outside acceptable limits or fails altogether. These UPS systems are controlled by computer systems including hardware and software components.
These UPS systems generally use one or more energy storage devices configured to provide backup power for a definite, finite period of time determined by the capacity of the energy storage device or devices and the magnitude of the load, that is, the amount of power consumed over time by equipment whose power requirements are met by the UPS. These UPS systems allow normal system operation to proceed for some period of time, but then control software in the UPS system and associated UPS system hardware begins to force the equipment whose power they are supplying to shutdown in a controlled manner before the capacity of the UPS is reached. Because different UPS applications have different requirements with respect to system availability, system reliability, robustness of the shutdown process, etc., it is desirable to tailor the shutdown of each process running on equipment powered by the UPS to meet various requirements. Also, some processes (e.g., a database manager running on a computer) must shutdown before others (e.g., the operating system on the computer). Such UPS systems accurately estimate a remaining time period that the UPS system can supply backup power. All of the shutdown processes must complete within the estimated time to avoid data loss or other problems.
Conventional software control systems used to configure the shutdown process of UPS systems such as described above employ a tabular user interface for configuring the shutdown parameters corresponding to each process running on each piece of equipment whose power is supplied by the UPS system. The table is displayed to an operator on a computer display device, allowing the operator to enter into the displayed table processes whose shutdown is to be controlled, along with desired shutdown parameters. Changes to parameters are made as changes to text entries in the table.
The table may be generally configured to have a list of processes along the left edge, followed by columns for setting process shutdown start and end times. The times made be stated relative to beginning of the shutdown process, and may be stated as delay and duration values, rather then start and end times, if desired.
Configuring the shutdown process using the conventional user interface can be a difficult and confusing one for some UPS operators. In some situations, the tabular format does not make as clear to the operator as may be desired, the ramifications of various changes. Operators may be left without a full understanding of when processes would begin to shutdown or conclude shutting down, when computer operating systems would shutdown and when the UPS system itself would turn off or enter a hibernation mode.